Adding a New Family Member

In case you missed it, we added a new little girl to our family in February. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to get her, and I immediately wondered why I said yes. But we are so excited to have our little Ivy in our lives!

I’m a first-time dog mom so getting a puppy has been a huge adjustment. We’ve been crate training, but it’s been a challenge. Ivy doesn’t mind sleeping in her crate at night, but she doesn’t like it during the day. At all. Still, I know that it’s the safest place for her when we don’t want her getting into things. (I just wish someone would tell her that!)

Having a puppy is a lot like having a baby. Except puppies can’t come with you inside restaurants and stores like babies can. So when we leave the house, it’s time for the crate; we can’t just leave on a dime. And when it comes to our first vacation? Well, we’ll tackle that when the time comes.

As far as other parts of life, I’m finding it difficult to squeeze my workouts in because Ivy’s bathroom, nap and play schedule doesn’t quite fit my needs. The other day, I was able to work out while the kids entertained the puppy but that isn’t always a good solution. I prefer to work out in the mornings–not in the evenings when the family is home.

At the end of the day, it’s all about being the boss of Ivy instead of her being our boss. Just like a baby, it’s easy to get into the habit of catering to her every need. But she needs to learn that the humans are the boss and she’s part of our pack (not the leader of it).

It’s hard, but we’re getting there. I’d love to hear from any dog moms about best practices. I welcome the input! But really, it’s hard to get over those real puppy dog eyes!